Republican governors differed Sunday on the Obama administration’s announcement to allow states more flexibility on the work requirement for welfare.

Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad lashed out at the plan, suggesting the administration has exceeded its authority, while Florida Gov. Rick Scott suggested the flexibility would allow him to keep the work requirement.

“This is a huge step in the wrong direction,” Branstad said on Fox News Sunday. “I think it’s illegal.”

Scott made clear that Floridians seeking benefits will still have to look for a job.

“People need to be going out and looking for a job,” he said. “We believe in personal responsibility, and we’re going to have that in our state.”

Following the policy directive Thursday, Mitt Romney and other Republicans accused the administration of unilaterally gutting welfare reform, thus overhauling one of the most important bipartisan agreements of the past several decades.

How the change will play out is unclear. The directive said only that states may seek a waiver from the work component of the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families Program to “test alternative and innovative strategies, policies and procedures that are designed to improve employment outcomes for needy families.”

HHS stressed that any alternative should still aim to get welfare recipients into gainful employment. Any plan that “appears substantially likely to reduce access to assistance or employment for needy families,” will not be approved, the memo stated.

States currently must have 50 percent of their caseload meet certain work participation requirements, though there are ways around that as many states fall short.